Shawn Myers was appointed Assistant State Treasurer in January, 2017. Her primary responsibilities include:

Chief of Staff

Special Advisor to the Treasurer

Local Government Relations

She especially enjoys all the Treasurer’s staff she works with every day. This is the second time Shawn has worked for Office of the State Treasurer (OST). When she was appointed in January she already knew almost everyone who worked there. “I consider them not just my friends but also my ‘work’ family” Shawn stated. “The most challenging aspect of the job is the complex financial issues we help the state and other governmental entities solve when it comes to financing their projects and other financial needs.”

Shawnee Roots

Shawn’s grandparents were from Shawnee, Oklahoma; the town she was named after. As a teenager, her granddad often talked to her about choosing a career in banking. He had two brothers who were bank presidents. Shawn took his advice and began her banking career in 1973 for NW National Bank in Vancouver, Washington. At 24, she became the youngest officer at the bank. In 1986, Shawn took her banking experience to the Thurston County Treasurer’s office where she worked her way up the ladder to Chief Deputy, managing the office, bank relations, and the investment portfolio. In 2005, she became the VP/Controller for the Bank of the Pacific in Aberdeen, and in 2008 she came to work for OST as the Cash Flow Manager. In 2010, Shawn was appointed and then elected as Thurston County Treasurer.

Shawn and her husband Dan, who is the Human Resources Director at the state’s Office of Financial Management, have been married for 32 years. They have two adult children, a 13 year-old grandson named Elvis, and granddaughter, Kira, who is starting kindergarten this fall. Shawn has spent most of her adult life volunteering and raising funds for her children’s schools and sports booster clubs. She has been on the advisory council for Catholic Community Services for 10 years where she has helped to raise funds for the poorest and most vulnerable. She has been a member of the Olympia Kiwanis Club since 2011. She has served as the Club’s Treasurer from 2013-2016, and is currently on the Board and Finance Committee.

Sunshine, a spot on the lake, and family

Shawn’s favorite place to vacation in Washington is Lake Chelan. She and her husband have been going there with other family members the same week in August for eighteen years and try to get over there at least one more time each year. She spends her spare time walking the dog, reading and feeding people. “I started a tradition about three years ago cooking Sunday night family dinners for my kids and parents” Shawn says. “I’ve always been fortunate to have them live close to me in Tumwater. I always feel bad for friends whose families live in another state. Maybe if I keep feeding them they will never move away.”

While she loves her position at OST, she says that if she had the chance to choose another career she would choose catering, but since she doesn’t care to work weekends, she’s happy with her current day job. She also loves to watch reality TV’s Survivor, and Big Brother.

“I think my granddad is pleased”

Over the course of her career, Shawn has gained more than 40 years of experience in public treasury and banking. She says she has enjoyed her work thus far, and is excited to continue at OST as Assistant State Treasurer.

“Although he has been gone for many years, I think my granddad is pleased” Shawn says.